Jedi Queen: Fate of the Jedi
by AmazingGraceless
Summary: The galaxy is facing its darkest hour. All hope of peaceful resolution exploded at the Artorian Peace Conference, and the Second Order has finally found its Emperor. The Jedi are splitting into two factions, and are too busy fighting with each other to fight for the galaxy. All factions now want one person: Nellith Solo, the girl who will decide the fate of the galaxy and the Jedi.
1. Young and Sweet

"Just breathe," Jaina began. "Now, reach out into the galaxy."

Nellith did so, taking a deep breath before extending her consciousness. She saw her aunt, the blazing fire that she was, and extended further. Her parents, like the river and the tide, she could see as well.

Further, Nellith extended herself into the stars. But she couldn't sense him, not for lack of trying. Gasping for breath, Nellith opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't do this."

"Yet," Jaina said, her smile kind. She placed her hand over Nellith's. "We'll take a break for now. But Tallis is counting on you being able to do this."

"I know," Nellith said. "I just need a few minutes, then I'll try again."

"Good," Jaina said. "I'm sorry I have to put this much pressure on you. But I also know you'll be much happier when we find Tallis, and get him out of the hands of the Second Order."

"Because then Abeloth or Snoke or whatever's in Andromeda Hux won't have her claws in him," Nellith said. "I know what that thing did to Dad. I won't let it to the same to Tallis."

"Then we need hurry up and try harder," Jaina said. "But first, let's get you that break. You have been trying for about an hour and a half. Trust me, you're getting better. Even if it doesn't feel like it."

"Thanks," Nellith said, her voice slightly bitter. "I wish I was good enough."

Jaina's smile turned sad and sympathetic. "I know how that feels. And so does Ben."

"You're saying maybe I should ask Dad to teach me?" Nellith's voice was half-joking, half-sincere.

"No." Jaina lightly punched her apprentice in the arm. "I'm not giving you up. You're still my apprentice, Young Padawan."

Nellith rolled her hazel eyes. She realized that she was playing with her new necklace again. She glanced down to the glowing pale blue diamond-shaped stone, laced with gold that matched the incredibly long chain.

Just that morning, her mother had gifted it to her for her fifteenth birthday. Any joy the occasion might've had was cut into by the events that had occurred three days prior. The last attempt to stop the war diplomatically had literally exploded with the bombs planted beneath the conference hall where negotiations were taking place by the Second Order.

Tallis Shan, who Nellith previously had thought died in the explosion, had in fact been kidnapped by the Second Order before he could defuse said bomb, and was currently most likely in some brainwashing situation to make him the Emperor of the Second Order and like most of his Sith ancestors.

Still, her parents did want to celebrate, so while her father had gifted her with a stuffed bantha to match her tauntaun she'd cherished from him, her mother had gifted her with the necklace.

* * *

"I know it's a bit small, but it's a holocron," Rey said as she placed it around her daughter's neck.

Nellith held up the stone, remembering the Sith holocrons she had encountered nearly three weeks ago. Unlike the Sith holocrons, which glowed the same red as their lightsabers, the holocron Rey had presented her with was blue. Within it, she could sense their presences, particularly the river of Rey's presence, and the tidal wave of Ben's.

"What's in it?" Nellith asked.

"Our family's history," Rey said. She hesitated a moment. "Both sides."

Nellith's jaw dropped. "You mean you're finally going to tell me about your parents?"

Rey sighed, fiddling with the mother's ring Leia had passed onto her all those years before.

"With extreme reluctance, I thought that you might finally be old enough to know the truth," Rey said.

"Thank you," Nellith said, holding the end of the necklace in her hand again. "This means so much to me!"

* * *

She wondered what secrets would lie within the holocron. She would finally know more about her mother's past than being ditched on Jakku by her parents and the surname Qel-Droma. There was clearly a history somewhere, and she couldn't wait to hear it.

Jaina watched it, and suddenly got to her feet.

"I'd be a terrible auntie if I didn't give you something for your birthday," Jaina said as she walked to where she had left a black duffel bag in the meditation room. "You know, since I missed the other fourteen. I was there for the day you were born, I swear I was there for Day 1."

Nellith let out a snicker, and watched her aunt with curiosity. Jaina came back with a folded cloth of some sort. It was a deep violet-gray that reminded her of Tallis's eyes. It seemed everything was trying to remind her of him.

The only hope so far was that he wasn't dead.

 _At least he's still alive._

Not that that was all that reassuring.

For a moment, Nellith thought that what Jaina had given her was some sort of scarf. But with a quick unfolding, she revealed a cloak with a hood—more of a poncho, in style. Nellith reached for it, and felt the softest, warmest fabric she'd ever encountered.

"Oh my," Nellith said.

"Luke gave me a jacket lined with that stuff when I was fifteen, and a scarf made of that for Ben," Jaina said. She smiled, a little sad. "I wish I'd taken things a little less seriously then."

"Aunt Jaina?" Nellith's voice was soft and tentative. Jaina Solo rarely, if ever, discussed her childhood, or her past with her twin brother, Ben Solo.

"I thought everything was on our shoulders then," Jaina said, speaking more to herself pensively than to Nellith. "We had adventures at the academy, but they were all just little adventures. Not much in the scheme of things. Not like what happened with Ben. I remember the night the temple burned down. I still have nightmares, of the fire. Sometimes I feel it in waking."

"I'm sorry," Nellith said.

"It all happened long before you were born," Jaina said, shaking her head. "None of it's something you need to be sorry for. And Ben made his apologies a long time ago. When you were just born, ironically."

"Did he change a lot when I was born?" Nellith asked.

"Not completely," Jaina said. "But definitely in the way that mattered. He became a good man when you were born."

The two human females sat in the meditation room, thinking on that.

"Do you want to try again?" Jaina asked.

Nellith nodded, and she sat cross-legged, ready to start again.


	2. Resisting Arrest

It was late at night once more, and Nellith couldn't sleep as it was. She could still hear the echoes there.

 _LONG LIVE THE QUEEN._

The vision had grown more specific, fewer changes every time, it was shifting less and less, revealing more and more about the future that had been decided. And every time, it looked like the bad path.

She wondered how to mention it the next morning to her parents. Telling them that Tallis would murder them in the future wasn't exactly the best breakfast conversation-opener. Besides, what if that made them stop looking for Tallis?

She'd come up to the alcove once again, to sit in the cold and be alone with her swirling thoughts. She looked out the snowy woods and ice caves, and wondered if she would see Tallis, or any of his ancestors, in the cave where she had met her grandmother's ghost.

Before she could ponder the things she would need or the possibilities of such an expedition, she felt a small ping in the Force. She didn't know how else to describe it. She could feel her father's rage within the castle, like a tsunami getting ready to crash as the storm gathered above.

As quickly as she could, Nellith navigated the passageways within the Imperial Palace, only hoping she could get to her father in time. She had to. She could feel her mother, also, as she got closer.

Her mother felt like a river in the Aquilaean springs, ready to overflow and destroy all in its path as the rain kept falling in.

Nellith quickly came to a hidden alcove within the Jedi training room. Obscured by the gridded vents, she was unseen as she saw the Jedi split into two factions. But one, led by Kiernan, had circled around her parents.

"Enough of this!" Kiernan shouted. "I think we have all the evidence we need!"

He ignited his yellow lightsaber. All of the others surrounding her parents did the same. If Rey or Ben tried to push past, they would walk straight into the end of a lightsaber.

Nellith's heart picked up, wondering what she could do. If she could—

"Rey Qel-Droma and Kylo Ren, I arrest you as traitors to the Jedi Order and wielders of the Dark Side of the Force!" Kiernan shouted. "You will go on trial for your perceived darkness—"

"I think not," Ben said, looking to Rey.

She outstretched her hand, and what Nellith saw made her heart skip a beat.

"You will deactivate our lightsabers, and let us leave this room," Rey said. Her dark eyes were confident, her voice serene and commanding. Like that, the will of everyone in the room crumbled like the Massassi temple did before Nellith when she screamed.

In perfect synchronization, the Jedi surrounding Ben and Rey repeated Rey's words.

"We will deactivate our lightsabers, and let you leave this room," they chorused. They then lowered their lightsabers, switched them off, and stepped back, expressions eerily blank. Ben and Rey ran past them and out the door, Jedi on their side following them.

Nellith quickly navigated back to the hallway where she always crawled in, and screwed the panel back on behind her. Heart pounding, she continued to her room, and locked the door to the main apartment behind her. She grabbed her cloak and boots, when she heard it.

Over the intercoms, she could hear her father's voice. He sounded angry, and incredibly out of breath.

"Code Blue!" Ben shouted. "The Knights of Ren are no longer allied with the Jedi— any Jedi Knight who isn't a Knight of Ren, my sister, my daughter, or my wife is no longer welcome within the Imperial Palace, and will be forced to leave if necessary!"

Alarms blared throughout the castle, and Nellith grabbed her cloak, throwing it on as well as her boots, and shut the door to her balcony, and closed all the curtains between doorways within the apartment. With her lightsaber, blaster, and multi-tool on her belt, she was ready to fight, should it come to that. She simply had to trust her parents would come for her. She shut herself into her closet, and sat in the dark behind the clothes.

Then she heard the pounding on the door.

"Princess! Open up!" It was General Mitaka. "Princess?"

Nellith reached for her wardrobe door before hesitating. Something felt wrong about it.

Reach out.

She heard Jaina's voice in her head, clear as day. She reached out her hand— not necessary, she knew that, but it was a sort of shortcut that helped her tap into the Force. She sensed Mitaka behind the door— and she saw Kiernan's presence, and it was vaguely threatening.

"Princess?" Mitaka shouted, before there was muffled scuffling, and Kiernan pounded on the door before giving a grunt of frustration.

"We're coming in there!" Kiernan roared.

Nellith burst out of the wardrobe, and grabbed a cable hidden in the bottom for emergencies. She clipped it to the balcony and started rappelling down. By the time Kiernan and his friends had cut through the door, she had touched her boots to the snow-covered ground.


	3. Abduction

The wicked wind howled as Nellith ran into the woods. She didn't dare take a speeder— they could track that. At least with her boots, it looked like the snow might fill in her tracks.

She ran into the ice caves. Unlike Tallis, she didn't fear the place. She ran deeper and deeper in, until she saw figures crowding the surface of the ice. One shadow stepped forward above all else, creating first a solid shape, the details solidifying and becoming more definite.

Nellith touched her hand to Tallis's, and felt warmth behind the ice. He stared at her with those lilac-gray eyes as if she were just a dream. She wondered how it had happened, and had so many other questions— before she heard a lightsaber sound. She stepped away— but she didn't see anything.

When she looked back, Tallis's image was gone, replaced by more shifting shadows. She reached her hand down to her lightsaber, and ignited it, the magenta light thrown across the caverns. She reached out as far as she could— but sensed nothing.

Then she saw the shadow of someone coming.

Filled with overwhelming cold and fear, Nellith ran, as fast as she could manage through the ice caves and into the snowy forest. All she could feel was pure panic, until—

There was a dead end. She could climb the snowy hill, but it would take too long, and she knew beneath was a thick layer of ice. When she turned, she saw the Jedi, led by Kiernan. His amber eyes blazed like the sun.

"Put down your lightsaber," Kiernan ordered. "You don't need to fear me."

"Why don't I believe you, then?" Nellith demanded.

"You don't understand the truth about your parents," Kiernan said. "Turn off the lightsaber, and we'll talk."

"You said my parents were colluding with the Dark Side!" Nellith cried as she tightened her grip around the hilt of her lightsaber.

"Because they are," Kiernan said. "Haven't you noticed that all of your parents' allies are going down the dark path? Rowley, Ben himself, Galen Palpatine, Tallis Shan, Rose Tico, and Poe Dameron."

"Those last two can't even use the Force," Nellith protested.

"There is darkness surrounding them, Nellith Solo," Kiernan said. He sounded very tired and impatient. "Surely a girl destined to sit on the Throne of Balance can sense that?"

"You and I both know I don't believe you," Nellith said, tightening her grip on the hilt of her lightsaber so much that her knuckles were white. "If you want me, you're gonna have to fight me."

She spun her lightsaber, inviting them to see what the Sword of the Jedi had taught her.

"You're not as good as you think, Solo," Kiernan said. He looked to the other Jedi surrounding him. "Do what you must to capture her alive."

At once, Nellith was rushed by several Jedi Knights, and she was relying purely on her reflexes and a pure tune-in with the Force to keep them from injuring her. She knew she would be overwhelmed quickly, but she didn't care. She would not surrender.

Then it happened, all too quickly. All Nellith felt was the burning, then the devastating pain that brought her to her knees. She reached her hand out instinctively to the stump of her arm.

Then she felt the heat of a lightsaber right next to her neck. She became very still, not daring to move and risk falling into the blade of one of Kiernan's Jedi. Kiernan walked over and pried Nellith's lightsaber out of her severed hand.

Kiernan turned it over and over. "The material is so worn," he murmured. "She took you to the Kenobi House, didn't she?"

Nellith said nothing, resolving instead to glare at him through her tears.

Kiernan knelt down in front of her, his expression gleefully cruel. "You have lost, Nellith. You need to accept that we're telling you the truth."

Nellith's full lips curled into a snarl as she reached her remaining hand out and made a fist. Filled with rage and pain and fear, she didn't care what happened to Kiernan. In fact, a dark part of her liked seeing him fly upwards, as he tried to pry invisible hands out from around his throat.

None of the Jedi could use their abilities to turn off hers, essentially, like they did with most Padawans. Nellith was too strong with the Force. She could feel their power combined straining against her, but her will and power continued to triumph.

Then she felt a hand on her back, and she knew what was happening before it did.

"Not fair. . ." she croaked before blacking out and crumpling to the ground completely.


	4. Vader's Legacy

When she opened her eyes, it was like a jolt of energy, and it would have propelled her forward, if she hadn't hit the restraints first. Her arm felt vaguely numb. She looked to it, confused as she saw her hand still there— but it didn't feel like her hand. Someone had also changed her clothes— she now was wearing a white hospital-issue gown.

Nellith craned her neck around the room. The walls were gray, with no viewports to the outside, and one visible door that had no way to open from the inside. There was an open closet with clothes hanging up, including the clothes she had been wearing before the Jedi had taken her. The bed she was restrained to and the closet were the only things in the room.

She strained to remember what Jaina had done to release her restraints six months prior in an interrogation bed— some sort of lightning. She wondered how she would even go at unlocking the restraints, or even the door.

One thing was for sure. Nellith needed to escape wherever in the nine hells she was, and get back to Uphatu.

Before she could weigh her options more carefully, the door slid open to reveal Kiernan, backed up by two Jedi.

"I apologize for the restraints," Kiernan said, reaching out and tracing the one around Nellith's hand. "Unfortunately, you are a bit of a wildcard, and we needed to make sure you wouldn't attack us when you woke up."

Nellith struggled against the restraints again, but still no avail.

"Now, now,"'Kiernan chided. "No need to behave like a child. Especially if you're going to be deciding the balance of the Force."

"That's what this is about," Nellith realized.

"Among other things," Kiernan admitted.

"Where am I?" Nellith asked.

"I'm afraid that information's on a need-to-know basis," Kiernan said. "You might get ideas if you know where you are."

"The First Order and the New Republic won't stand for this," Nellith said, hating his angular face, his amber eyes, his fancy accent. "Once they hear I'm being held against my will, they'll blow this place up just like Scarif."

"That assumes they find out," Kiernan said. "You are going to help us, and tell them you willingly came with us."

"Interesting assumption," Nellith said. "I won't."

Kiernan extended his hand. "You will tell the New Republic you went with us of your own free will—"

"I'm a Skywalker," Nellith protested. "Mum is the best at mind-tricks— you think I can be tricked so easily?"

Kiernan clenched his fist before one of the other Jedi placed a soothing hand on his arm.

"She's not going to help us," the Jedi said. "Not unless we hurt her to do it."

Nellith's heart pounded against her chest as Kiernan reconsidered her, amber eyes piercing.

"No food until she helps us," he declared. "Turn the room's temperature down as far as settings will allow. Take away her other clothes. And leave me in here."

Nellith met his eyes. She refused to let him know her heart was pounding against her chest, how cold her veins felt. She had faced down entities more powerful than he could ever be. She could face him.

The reassurances still failed in accomplishing anything.

The two Jedi pulled her clothes out of her closet, and then left her and Kiernan alone in the room. Nellith heard beeping from outside, and she knew that they were changing the temperature of her cell room.

Kiernan extended his hand, hovering inches over Nellith's forehead.

"Let's see what secrets you have to hide," Kiernan murmured. "Let's see your worst nightmares."

Immediately, Nellith was no longer in the room. Instead she was underneath the conference room, in the Rainbow Palace.

"No," she said, even though the words didn't feel like they were coming out of her mouth. She was vaguely aware that this wasn't how it actually went down as she tugged at the white pajama shirt he wore underneath his jacket. "Don't leave me, please."

She knew now, what his fate was, and there was the feeling of dreadful anticipation clustered in her stomach as she knew what would happen next, and she was afraid for him. He smiled sadly and kissed her, this time taking so much longer than the first, original kiss.

When they broke away, she entwined her fingers tighter into his shirt, wanting to stop time right then and there.

"I love you," he said. "I need to do this, so you can save the galaxy."

Then he vanished completely, and Nellith felt all the grief and fear and anger all over again, threatening to explode out of her.

Then she was dangling in handcuffs, struggling in and out of consciousness, knowing she had failed to hold off Snoke, that she had failed her friends. Then she screamed that horrible scream, and she felt the self-hatred as she relived it again, for letting herself go, for giving into the darkness.

Then it switched one final time. It was the vision, more real than any of the other scenes Kiernan forced her to relive.

It was raining now, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain and blood blended together on Tallis's spiky crown. On the red end of his lightsaber, the only part ignited, it sizzled as the rain hit it.

Ben and Rey wore even more chains than last time, and had some sort of glowing chip on their neck putting them both in extreme pain.

Nellith tried to move to stop it, but the throne had curled tree roots around her legs and arms, and even her neck.

"Don't fight it," Tallis said, turning to her. "You know you can't."

He turned back to her crying, whimpering parents. "They were holding you back."

Then in one clean swoop, her parents were decapitated. Nellith couldn't close her eyes, couldn't look away.

"NO!" she screamed, her voice turning to her mother's when Han Solo died, Luke's when Darth Vader revealed to him the truth, then Vader's when he discovered Padmé's death, and finally Obi-Wan's, at Qui-Gon Jinn's death.

Tallis turned off his lightsaber, and turned back to Nellith, and knelt before her, kissing her hand. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't.

Tallis then stood, and turned to the crowd of people in front of her.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" he shouted. A sea of red lightsabers and an echoing roar was the response.

That was when Kiernan withdrew from her mind, looking greatly shaken.

Already, the room was colder, and Nellith was shaking, from her mind being invaded so forcibly.

"I was right about the boy," Kiernan whispered. "He will go on to be the greatest evil the galaxy will ever know!"

"You're wrong," Nellith snapped, and she realized he'd taken off her restraints. She sat up and leapt at him— only to feel herself levitate into the air.

"I see we'll have to break you the hard way," Kiernan said, his voice sounding falsely sorrowful. Nellith could sense his true intentions. He threw her against the wall, then back again in the air, three times, before letting her fall to the ground in a heap.

"I'll see you when you've decided to come to your senses," Kiernan said before storming out, leaving Nellith to cry.


	5. The Phantom Pain

Days had passed. The room was approximately thirty-five degrees, and the vents were blasting as cold as they could, feeling like they were cutting through the thin flimsi-based hospital gown she wore. Her stomach hurt worse than it ever had in her life, and when Nellith wasn't forcing herself to sleep, she was taking her water rations that they sent through a small passage in the wall, too small for her to crawl through.

Between the cold and the lack of food, Nellith knew she was already losing weight. She wasn't going to give in to Kiernan's demand. This was just extra icing on the cake for the Jedi. If they were going to imprison and torture her like this, the New Republic would know, and would surely come for her.

It was just a little difficult to stay stubborn at this point.

And now that she had thought about it, she had no idea how much time had gone by at any point. It could've been weeks for all she knew. Because there had been no care materials provided, her prosthetic hand had surrendered completely to the cold and seized up.

The point was, Nellith Solo was miserable.

She spent most her time huddled in a ball, knees to her chest the entire time.

It was in one of the twilight periods, when she was fading in and out of consciousness, when she saw him.

Covered in his own blood, his hair almost completely white, and several bruises on his skin and face, and his white jumpsuit covered in dirt and blood, Nellith immediately felt pity for the boy she had failed. He sat against what must've been a wall in his surroundings, but she couldn't see him.

Then all sound was sucked out of the room. He looked up, as if the same had happened to him.

"I-I-I-It c-can't be y-y-you," Nellith whispered. "I-I m-m-m-must be d-dying or—"

"Nellith?" Despite what he'd clearly been through, he still showed some concern for her. He crawled toward her, stopping merely an inch in front of her, his eyes surveying the damage. "Who did this to you?"

"K-K-K-Kiernan," Nellith sobbed. "His J-Jedi."

"His Jedi did this to you?" His hands, from across space and time, reached to her then, the only warmth in the world. "You're like ice, Nellith. Hold on. I'll make it to you, I promise. Where are you?"

"D-D-Don't," was all Nellith could get out.

"I promise, I'm coming for you," he said, lilac-gray eyes intense.

She reached her prosthetic hand out, gently hovering over the bruises on his face.

"P-P-Please d-don't," Nellith managed to exhale.

He kissed her for a second, throwing her back to the last one, before he faded away completely and the sound came roaring back in. She wrapped her arms around herself, placing her hands where Tallis had just placed his.

The doors slid open, but Nellith didn't even look in the direction of the doors. Then she was pulled to her feet roughly by a Jedi knight who forced her arms behind her back so they could handcuff her, and he half-dragged her out of the freezing room, into the hallways of wherever she was. She glanced out to see a viewport of a night sky, but before she could get a better look, she was yanked into a lounge where twelve Jedi, headed by Kiernan, sat.

The burly Jedi knight who had dragged her in threw her onto the Jedi Council's table. She just lay there in the flimsy hospital gown, shuddering violently with fear and cold.

Kiernan stood up. "You were communicating with Tallis Shan. We sensed his dark presence in your cell!"

"Dark?" Nellith murmured.

"His resolve and anger were so tightly entwined together, it must've been his commitment to the dark," Kiernan said. "You will tell us what we told him, or I will be forced to go in your mind again."

Nellith spat on his table.

"Such insolence," one Jedi murmured.

Kiernan outstretched his hand, but Nellith was ready for him. As she lifted in the air, she focused on fighting off his presence, overwhelming him with her own. She would not be caught off-guard again. It hurt her, it physically hurt her to resist him, she writhed and screamed in the air, but she would not give up. She knew this wasn't a true Jedi, a person who hurt others to get what they wanted— when she did it, she wasn't very Jedi-like either. There was a reason she was ashamed of those moments.

When she was slammed back down onto the table, she heard a grunt of frustration from Kiernan.

"It's no use," he muttered. "We'll have to force her to work with us. It's been two weeks."

 _Two weeks?_ Nellith thought dully.

"The galaxy needs her response, especially if that _boy_ is coming for her," Kiernan said. "We have no time to lose."

"What do we do?" a female Jedi asked.

Nellith was lifted up in the Force into the air and turned around slowly.

"One of us will have to clean her up, and we'll get her her lines," Kiernan said.

"After that?" another Jedi asked.

"We'll have to start with IV fluids," Kiernan mused. "She'll be confined to her bed for a week. After this broadcast, we'll have as much time as we need to make her into what we need her to be."

There were murmurs of assent around the room. The first female Jedi looked slightly disapproving, however. She merely pursed her lips that she had painted purple and said noting as Kiernan dropped Nellith back on the table.

"We are in agreement, then?" Kiernan asked.

There were more nods.

"I will inform the others," the burly Jedi behind Nellith said.

"Thank you," Kiernan said. He looked to the disapproving female Jedi. "Tiki, will you take this?"

Tiki looked to Nellith, her birdlike features somewhat apologetic. "I've got this."


	6. Masquerade

Nellith was half-dragged down a maze of corridors to where there was a sanisteam tub and other items to clean and beautify. Tiki pulled off Nellith's handcuffs. Nellith rubbed her wrists as Tiki started filling the sanisteam tub.

Her gaze was maternal when she turned to Nellith, who was still shaking somewhat.

"If you'd like, I can turn my back while you get your bath," Tiki said. "If you can get your own clothes off, that is."

Nellith nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't owe any of her words to these people.

Tiki nodded, and turned her back, sitting in front of the only door out. Nellith stripped her clothes and got into the sanisteam. The water was surprisingly warm, and she could feel it restoring some life to her. She started scrubbing at her body, and letting the heat soak back in. She scrubbed her blonde hair, and eventually got out of the sanisteam.

After drying herself off, Nellith got dressed into the change of clothes, all of which were baggies now due to her weight loss.

"Nothing we can do to make that up," Tiki said mournfully as she turned around and started adjusting Nellith's clothes to hide their bagginess somewhat. "Let's just get your face looking somewhat suitable."

Tiki then guided Nellith towards the vanity chair, and sat her down in it.

"We're going to brush your hair out, but keep it down to help obscure any symptoms of what happened," Tiki said. "And it'll hide this."

Before Nellith could ask, she pulled back a flap of the high collar on Nellith's jacket, and stuck a blue chip of some sort there as it embedded itself in her neck.

"Ow! What the hells is that?" Nellith shrieked as she reached for it. It was greeted with a strong electric shock that left her shaking.

"Can't have you taking that out," Tiki muttered. "It's an inhibitor chip. Keep you in line."

Nellith raised a thick, defined eyebrow. "You seriously think you're the good guys in all this?"

"Your father and mother have colluded with far too many on the dark side," Tiki said as she started brushing out Nellith's hair. "And they are too strong to take any chances. Their positioning you as a leader is also problematic."

"For you or for me?" Nellith asked dryly. "Are you worried about my parents wanting power? Is that seriously what this is about?"

"No being is immune to power," Tiki said.

"Dad's temptation was a long time ago, and he took it well," Nellith said, her voice swelling with pride. "All Mum ever wanted was a family. She'll kill all of you for this."

"That's not very light side of her, is it?" Tiki crooned.

"She can be very forgiving, but not when it comes to me," Nellith said.

"Never mind that, you are going to tell the galaxy that you are safe and went with us of your own free will," Tiki said. "They don't understand matters of the Force."

Nellith raised her eyebrows again. "Is that what Kiernan told you?"

"He's right about more than you give him credit for, child," Tiki said as she continued to brush out Nellith's thick blond hair. "We are the few blessed with wielding the Force. It is something those without it could never understand."

Nellith thought to how she had grown up in a way she knew was fundamentally different. But she didn't think that had as much to do with the Force. That felt as natural as breathing to her. It was keeping her family apart because of politics that had passed long before her birth that had made her childhood strange.

Tiki then swiveled Nellith around.

"We need to make up that face," Tiki said. "Can't have you looking gaunt."

Nellith held still as Tiki smeared gels and swirled powders about on her face, especially under her eyes.

Within a few moments, Nellith was permitted to glance at herself in the mirror. She didn't look so gaunt, the clothes and the hair helping obscure what the makeup didn't. But she knew her parents would notice the dark look in her hazel eyes, and all the little ways her face betrayed her recent history.

As she looked at her face in the mirror, she discovered resolve. She wasn't going to let these bastards get away with it.

Not this time, Nellith thought, a sly grin curling up her face, reminiscent of Han Solo.

"It'll have to do," Tiki sighed. "Best get you away. Jedi aren't supposed to be vain, anyway."

Nellith couldn't resist rolling her eyes at this statement.

"Your parents have spoiled you for far too long," Tiki said when she caught that eye roll. "Come on."

With that, she took Nellith into the next room, where a holo-recorder was.

Kiernan stood in the room, Tiki standing slightly away from her so she wouldn't be seen by the device.

"We are pre-recording this to get any impulses you might have out of the way," Kiernan said.

"What makes you think for one parsec that this will work?" Nellith demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kiernan's features hardened. "Don't question me."

Nellith blinked, and assumed an innocent expression. Confused, but pleasantly so by this turn of events, Kiernan softened a bit himself.

"You will repeat the lines I say," Kiernan said. "I am Princess Nellith Solo of the First Order, and I am transmitting from a secure location."

"I am Nellith Solo," Nellith said. "I am transmitting from a secure location."

"Good," Tiki murmured. Kiernan looked a little irritated at Nellith's edits.

"I am with the Jedi who have split from Kylo Ren and Rey's dark faction," Kiernan continued.

"I am with the Jedi who have split with Ben Solo and Rey Qel-Droma," Nellith said.

Kiernan's features hardened more, but he did nothing.

"I have come of my own free will," he said.

"I have come of my—" Nellith noticed a red light and symbols in the camera. She realized immediately now was her chance. "No! I am being held against my will and I don't know where I am—"

"Turn it off!" Kiernan hissed as he pressed a button on his remote.

From the chip in Nellith's neck, electrical energy surged forwards, and she went to her feet, screaming in pain. By some miracle of the Force, the camera didn't turn off until Kaydel Ko Connix had seen the transmission of Nellith's torture live.


	7. Qel-Droma

Nellith was physically thrown back into her freezing cell with a few rations of food. She reached for her neck chip. She wasn't sure if she could get it out on her own or not.

 _Probably not,_ she thought. She looked around her cell. She had no way out yet, but she knew that the broadcast had been live, and that the New Republic must've seen it.

 _Help is on the way,_ she assured herself. _Sooner or later._

As she sat leaning slumped against the wall, she felt a shift in her cloak's covering. It was the cloak Jaina had given her. She reached in, and from her fingers dangled the holocron necklace. Curious, she set it on the ground.

She could feel the love and serenity in the Force radiating from the holocron. Nellith crossed her legs, sat up straight, and reached out her hand. It felt as simple as opening a door. Out of the holocron, a blue holographic version of her mother appeared.

"Hello, Nellith," Rey said, her smile like sunshine. It made the room feel warmer despite the bitter cold. "I knew you would want to learn our family's history, and I want you to have what I didn't— a way to carry that around with you."

"I want to know more about your parents," Nellith said.

"I know," Rey said, looking somewhat disappointed. "I struggled for a long time to find these answers. Believed many wrong answers. I refused to let it go, until I met your father."

"You've refused to tell me," Nellith said.

"I will now," Rey promised, nodding to herself. "My father was a smuggler and had a deep connection with the Force. He was born and raised on Jakku, and his family was indentured to Unkar Plutt. During one of his smuggling trips, he ended up crash-landing outside the settlement of the Church of the Force. There, he met my mother, Keera San Tekka."

Nellith ripped open a rations pack, and chewed a piece very slowly. She knew her stomach probably couldn't take it, but she couldn't help it, she was so hungry. As she did so, images of Keera San Tekka and Skylar Qel-Droma appeared. Nellith recognized the features of her mother dissected into the two. Skylar had Rey's sunny smile and square jawline, and Keera had Rey's muscular, small body and coloring.

"Keera was the daughter of Lorr San Tekka, an adventurer who was rarely on Jakku, but was a prominent member of the Church of the Force," Rey continued. "Keera remained on Jakku as an archaeologist, helping appraise what bits she found from not just the Battle of Jakku, but much older time periods, such as when the Sith reigned thousands of years ago. She and Skylar, according to the villagers, fell in love nearly instantly."

Nellith frowned. "I don't understand why you didn't tell me this story."

Rey's face darkened. "Because it doesn't have a happy ending. While Keera introduced Skylar to his first true experience with the Force, they were not aware of Skylar's lineage, not until they took a trip to Anch-To.

"There, they discovered that the Qel-Droma line belonged to ancient Jedi, back in the very beginnings of the Order," Rey said. "Back then, Jedi were allowed to have families, as long as mothers or fathers didn't train their own children. One of the most prominent of the old Jedi was Nomi Sunrider, but this is not her story.

"After that, they began doing some research into the history of the Force and the Jedi on Jakku," Rey continued. "In the interim, that had me. They rarely returned to any village, and instead took me with them all over the planet. I don't remember much of it. They were also alcoholics. I thought for a long time that they sold me for drinking money. While I was pregnant with you, I discovered that they had in fact gotten their hands on an ancient artifact with a strong presence in the dark side. They left me with Plutt because Skylar had to— his family never paid off their debts. And I never found out for sure what happened to them until I saw their ghosts in the Force."

"Whoa," Nellith murmured. "Did they ever—"

"They apologized," Rey said, looking like a lost little girl. "They were crying, they were so sorry that they had to leave me in the first place, and that they never stopped watching over me in the Force, never stopped loving me. I don't know if I should tell you this, but it was harder than the idea that my parents sold me for drinking money, like Ben believed. That they had gotten themselves killed and had spent so long with that guilt when they had tried to do more for the galaxy. . . How could I not forgive them?"

"You forgave them?" Nellith blinked.

"We both know I'm a forgiving person," Rey said. "I forgave your father, my parents, the Knights of Ren, even Galen Palpatine. Here's the thing, Nellith. I've always had to believe that people are good at heart. In my experience, that is the one truth I know."

"Forgiveness allows that to come back through," Nellith realized.

Rey nodded. "And now you know. Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

"I don't think so," Nellith said. "But I don't want you to go away."

"I'm a holo," Rey reminded her, a sympathetic look on her face. "I can only repeat what information I'm given."

"Then tell me about my father," Nellith said, clutching her cloak more tightly around her as she drew her knees up to her chest and continued eating her rations. "I wish you were really here."


	8. The Crew of the Suncrusher

Amilyn Dameron stood in her mother's office, her best friend by her side, letting her hold his hand as her mother replayed the recording. From the moment the clip began, Amilyn could tell something was wrong. There was something just off about her friend's face, some quality about it that betrayed the makeup slathered on her face to hide something terrible. Then to hear her scream that she was being held against her will, and then to watch one of the strongest people she'd known get pulled to her feet screaming—

Amilyn shut her eyes, but it was too late. The clip was already done. Hastily, she opened her eyes to see Kaydel surveying her reaction. Amilyn swallowed, trying to gather her thoughts.

"We need to rescue her," Amilyn said. "She's going to be the galaxy's queen one day. We can't let her stay there."

"My thoughts exactly," Kaydel said.

Sam gently squeezed Amilyn's hand before letting go. "I can trace the transmission. Give me two days max, and I will have the location."

Kaydel nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. We have to assemble a team."

"Did someone say team?"

Kaydel, Sam, Amilyn, Poe, Finn, and Rose turned around to see Jaina Solo having stormed through the doors.

"Hey, this is a highly secure office," Poe protested. "You can't just—"

"Save it, flyboy," Jaina said, staring past him at Kaydel. "Are we rescuing my apprentice?"

"You know that was always the plan," Kaydel said softly.

Jaina nodded approvingly. "So, who are we taking with us?"

"I have to stay here," Kaydel said. "And so do the rest of us." She gestured at the other adults. "We need to clean up the scandal regarding the Suncrusher that came out at the Artorian conference. And make a press statement about our intentions of the whole Nellith statement."

Jaina turned to Sam and Amilyn. "How do you feel about helping?"

Amilyn nodded, her face set into a determined expression. "Someone has to bring the Jedi to justice."

"I'll go wherever she goes," Sam said. "I'm already working to slice the source."

"Good," Jaina said. "How much time do you need, kid?"

"Two days," Sam repeated.

"Good, just enough time for me to make a visit to an ally," Jaina said. She looked to Amilyn. "Could you prepare which ship we're going to take? It'll be critical."

Amilyn nodded. "And I'll gather blasters for Sam and I."

"Take the _Suncrusher_."

Everyone turned to see Rose, who had just spoken for the first time.

"Are you sure?" Jaina asked. "There have to be senators calling for its destruction."

"That's the point," Rose said. "I want my creation to be flown at least once. Besides, the Jedi might just be crazy enough to think you'll fire it."

"It's bargaining power," Poe realized, looking to Rose. "I like the way you think."

"I'm not sure I consider that a compliment," Rose said stiffly. She refused to look at her old friend.

"Come on, how many times do I need to apologize?" Poe demanded.

"Leave her alone," Finn said, stepping between his wife and friend. "We need to focus on the mission at hand. Would you like for me to give the statement on Nellith's situation?"

"Go ahead," Kaydel said. "I need to talk to Poe."

In a single-file line, everyone left the office, and the doors locked behind them. Jaina turned to Rose.

"Thank you for letting me fly the _Suncrusher_ ," Jaina said. "It'll be an honor."

"Won't be just you," Rose said quickly. "You need three pilots and two gunners to fire the thing."

"Kyp will be coming with us," Jaina said quickly, "as well as the ally I'm recruiting. I take it Sam's a pilot."

"Wedge says he's the best," Rose said with a smile.

"I'll be back with Kyp and my friend by tomorrow afternoon," Jaina promised.

"May the Force be with you," Finn said.

Jaina nodded. "And also with you."

* * *

Through the twin doors guarding the throne room, Jaina Solo strode in the way only a Solo could. She had the confident swagger, with an air of recklessness and luck entwined. She had a plan, an extremely dangerous, uncertain one, but it was near guaranteed it was going to land her way.

Queen Miranda Galfridian, affectionately known as Miri by her people, knew this all too well from her experiences with Nellith. So when Jaina Solo came swaggering in, she knew that no matter what she said, she was getting dragged into an adventure. A mischievous grin spread up her face and she rose to her feet.

"Whatever you've got, Jaina Solo, I'm ready to go," Miri announced, much to the alarm of all of her counselors. Counselor Traytor in particular looked dismayed.

"I need your assistance rescuing Nellith," Jaina said.

Miri's expression flickered into mixed anger and sadness. "I saw Kiernan Solsaur's broadcast."

Jaina nodded, her own expression having faltered. "You'll be able to distract Kiernan and the rest."

"I can do that," Miri agreed with a nod. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as Sam Tico traces the source," Jaina promised.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Miri asked, sounding somewhat cheerful. "Let's go rescue Nellith!"


	9. Breakout

When Tiki arrived in Nellith's cell, Nellith immediately stashed her necklace beneath her robes.

"What was that?" Tiki asked.

"Nothing—"

Before Nellith could defend herself, Tiki reached for the chain around Nellith's neck and yanked it off.

"Stop!" Nellith protested as Tiki examined it in her hands. Her violet eyes widened and her birdlike face went ashen.

"You had a holocron on you the entire time. . . I'm afraid I need to turn this in," Tiki said.

"No!" Nellith reached out her hand, and Tiki went levitating up. Almost immediately, electricity surged through her body from the chip, and Nellith dropped Tiki unceremoniously back onto the ground.

Tiki turned to her, looking at her with false sympathy.

"You have fallen so far," Tiki said.

"Same could be said for you," Nellith said breathlessly.

"Kiernan wanted us to—"

She was cut off by the lights turning red and an alarm blaring through the compound. Tiki looked around, confused and in a panic.

"Code Red! All Jedi are needed in the hangar!" Kiernan yelled over the intercom.

"This isn't over," Tiki said, taking the holocron with her. Nellith lay in a sprawling heap on the cold floor, praying that it was a rescue mission. Already, she was exhausted. Then she sensed it.

"Jaina?"

* * *

"Unidentified ship, please identify yourselves."

Jaina glanced over her shoulder at Sam, Amilyn, and Miri, nodding towards the microphone between her and Kyp in their side of the long control panel. Miri unbuckled her restraints, and kept a grip on the back of Jaina and Kyp's chairs.

"Hello, this is Queen Miranda Galfridian of Artorias," Miri announced, her voice suave and regal. "I am requesting permission to land. I am here to investigate the claims of Nellith Solo being abducted."

"I'm afraid we can't let you land," Kiernan said, a little too quickly.

"I'm afraid that my request was merely formality," Miri said, her tone immediately plunging into a sharper edge. "I will land on your base. You can either permit it, and save yourselves from more charges, or you can deny it, and I will be forced to blow this space station into the atmosphere."

Silence emanated from the control panel.

"Solsaur, I'm afraid I need your response," Miri said, after a few minutes.

Silence.

"Solsaur, I'm insane enough to use the full capacity of this weapon, and you know it," Miri said.

As a response, the space station _Capricorn_ fired shots that bounced off of the armor of the _Suncrusher_.

"Let's get ready for some aggressive negotiations," Jaina said. "Amilyn, strategy's still the same, right?"

"Absolutely," Amilyn said. "Sam, I need you and Jaina to get deep inside the base. Jaina can sense Nellith, and Sam can disable the chip in her neck. Kyp stays with the ship and keeps it from getting taken by the other Jedi. Miri and I will try to talk Kiernan and the others down."

"Do you think that's still possible at this point?" Kyp asked.

"Nellith would believe that," Amilyn said.

"Honestly, I'm sensing very different emotions from my apprentice," Jaina said. "Feels like she's kriffing angry."

"Language!" Sam protested.

* * *

The _Suncrusher_ landed within the hangar bay, and the Jed assembled around it, lightsabers out. Amilyn was the first to climb out, Miri right behind her. While Amilyn carried a large blaster rifle, Miri had dual pistols, ready to fire.

Tiki Arranda stood at the front of these, holding her purple lightsaber matching the tattoos on her face and arms and her eyes.

"You are not welcome," Tiki said.

"We are with the New Republic, and the Jedi are under our jurisdiction," Amilyn said calmly. "Strike us down, and you'll have enough charges to fill all the libraries on Coruscant. You're already in enough trouble as is for kidnapping a political figure, torture, and firing on a military ship when approached peacefully. Killing children and a ruler of another planet is just one more blaster on the tauntaun's back."

"We are dealing in matters you cannot understand," Tiki said. "You are connected in the Force."

"That's not what we believe," Miri said, her amber eyes flashing. "On Artorias, we believe all living things are connected to it and can sense it, even if most of us don't have the midichlorians to wield them."

"That has nothing to do with why you're here!" another Jedi cried out. "We need to make sure the balance of the Force is decided for the light!"

As the diplomats and Jedi began arguing the nature of the Force, they didn't notice two more members of the _Suncrusher's_ crew sneaking out of a sliding door on the side panel of the triangular ship.

* * *

Nellith had gotten used to the red flashing lights and sirens by now, and the very sound of the sirens on repeat were starting to make her want to break things in a manner similar to her father.

So she was relieved when she saw the violet tip of her mentor's lightsaber cut through the door. Right before the door was kicked in, Nellith scrambled to her feet and pressed herself against the wall. Jaina kicked the door in, and in ran Sam and Jaina. Sam approached, holding a tool in his hand.

"Hold still," Sam ordered as he inserted his tool into the chip. He turned his tool a quarter of the way around, yanked it out, and then yanked out the chip. Nellith yelled, reaching to where her neck was bleeding.

Jaina reached over to Nellith's neck, and the tissue healed itself.

"Thanks," Nellith said.

"We'll build you another lightsaber," Jaina promised. "We just don't have time to get your weapons back."

"I understand," Nellith said, nodding. "I just wanna get out of here."

"Then let's get out."

* * *

By the time they had entered the hangar, most of the Jedi were gone, leaving only Tiki arguing with Amilyn and Miri. Tiki's eyes widened when she saw the three walk through the door.

"How'd you get out without us seeing?" Tiki yelled at Jaina.

"Distratction, and a stealth projection in the Force," Jaina said, twirling her lightsaber. "Back off, Tiki. You aren't prepared for this."

"I'm not letting you all go," Tiki growled.

"Get in the ship," Jaina ordered. "I'll handle this."

Before any of the other members of the crew could protest, Jaina then charged at Tiki, and leapt, in a single strong plunging her blade into Tiki's heart. Jaina deactivated the lightsaber as she landed, and stood there, breathing heavily and staring at the body.

"Jaina?" Nellith called gently. Black lightning flickered around her mentor's body in the Force. She feared the darkness coursing through her aunt.

Jaina turned around, her brown eyes wild as they met Nellith's hazel ones.

Her shoulders relaxed, and her breathing eased. Nellith extended her hand.

"Come on, let's go home."

Jaina walked over, and accepted her niece's hand. The two then entered the Suncrusher, and left the _Capricorn_ behind.


	10. The New Emperor

Nellith embraced Miri once inside and en route in hyperspace to the safe haven of Chandrila.

"Thank you for coming to get me," Nellith sobbed.

"I'd do anything for you," Miri confessed. "You're the one who inspired me to do what was right."

"You're our friend," Amilyn said, nodding towards Sam. "You don't deserve what they did to you."

Nellith's cheeks turned pink and she shifted her head forward so her messy blonde hair swished forward to hide her face from the view of others. "You saw the clip, didn't you."

Jaina placed a reassuring hand on Nellith's shoulder. "Most world leaders saw it, and a good portion of the New Republic citizens. Kiernan put it on the holonet."

"What?" Nellith cried.

"There's more," Kyp said. Jaina glared at him, as if to tell him to shut up.

"What?" Nellith asked, looking from Kyp to Jaina. "What happened?"

"There's a lot," Amilyn admitted. "The War has completely changed."

"How?" Nellith asked, as her heard began to hammer against her ribs.

"The Second Order withdrew completely from Corellia," Jaina said evenly. "The fighting is still going on in the Outer Rim, but they've made a statement that Corellia will be spared from now on, due to the damage done."

"That doesn't sound like Andromeda Hux or Abeloth," Nellith said, raising her eyebrows.

"That's because—" Sam began, but Jaina cut him off.

"It doesn't matter," Jaina said. "Rey and Ben disappeared. The Knights of the Ren and General Mitaka are running things on Uphatu under a strict code of orders from them. No one knows where they are or what they're doing."

"There's also Kiernan's Jedi taking over settlements from the Church of the Force and the Church of the Crescent Moon and all of the others from the Jedhan diaspora," Kyp added.

"There's something you're not telling me," Nellith accused.

All of the members of the crew exchanged a look that confirmed Nellith's suspicions.

"Tell me," Nellith ordered.

"You're going to need to sit down," Jaina said.

Nellith took Miri's seat at the gunning panel. "What's wrong?"

"About two days ago, right before the transmission sent by Kiernan's Jedi, the Second Order made an announcement," Jaina said. She crossed her arms over her chest, standing next to where Kyp was sitting. "They showed Tallis."

"Is he okay?" Nellith asked, thinking to the last time she saw him, covered in his own blood.

"He had a few bruises and his hair was whiter, but he otherwise looked fine," Kyp assured her.

"He announced he would be taking his role as the leader of the Second Order, and would begin reclaiming his position as ruler of the galaxy," Jaina said.

"We think he's going to go after the Core Worlds instead," Amilyn said.

"Oh no," Nellith said, as the final piece of the puzzle slid into face. "No, no, no! This is all my fault!"

"There's no way this could be—"

"I saw him that day," Nellith sobbed. "I saw his face, he was some sort of projection, I don't know, but he was there and he was determined to come and get me. I bet you anything he gave into the Second Order's demands so he could have the resources to find me!"

She burst into uncontrollable, ugly tears. Everyone stood around in silence, unsure of what do say or do. Then Jaina approached, kneeling before her apprentice. She placed her hands gently on Nellith's.

"Listen to me," Jaina said, her voice gentle, yet commanding. "It is not your fault. Tallis wanted to help you, but you didn't know then that this would be the result. You are not responsible for others' actions, do you hear me?"

Nellith nodded through her tears.

"And I hate to ask this of you, but we need to find Ben and Rey, at least to let them see you're alright," Jaina said. "Do you have any idea where they might be?"

Nellith blinked. There was always one place she associated with her parents and their love. She knew it as well as she did breathing, that they were there.

"Anch-To."

Jaina looked to Kyp. "Change our route. We're going to Ben and Rey."


	11. The First Jedi Temple

_The twin suns were setting over the densely-packed sands of Tatooine, the sky an eerie yet enchanting red and golden-orange. As she exited the Kenobi household, her fingers lingered on the dingy threshold as she stood in the doorway, her eyes fixed by a dark shadow approaching. Her fingers twitched for a blaster or a lightsaber— but she had neither hanging off of her belt._

 _All she had was herself and the Force._

 _She closed her eyes and breathed in sharply through her nose. She exhaled, and opened her eyes once more. The shadow now had a face. He wore the dark robes that once had blood dripping over them in visions she' d seen in the past. At least now the robes were clean. At least he wasn't wearing a spiky crown yet._

 _But as she took a second look, a second sight kicked in. She could see his aura flickering around him in the Force. He was unstable, like a rainstorm turned to thunder and lightning and threatening to build to a tornado._

 _"This isn't you." She hated how vulnerable her voice sounded._

 _"I'm still me, beneath all of this," he said, stepping closer. "I had to fool Abeloth. I had to make her believe I was trustworthy. Besides, who cares? The Jedi, the Sith?"_

 _He was in front of her, the tips of their boots touching. He reached a hand out to her face, brushing a strand of golden blond hair behind her ear. "After what they did to you, I know only one truth— they're all the same. Idiots who don't care about the rest of the galaxy, only if they're dark or light. Kriff that. Damn the dark, damn the light."_

 _"I can't." Nellith shut her eyes and stepped back. "I still care. And it's not true."_

 _"Think about it." Tallis didn't advance any further, respecting her wish for distance. "If the Jedi are supposed to be better than the Sith, why did they torture you? And why is it so easy for the Jedi to fall?"_

 _"Because we all have the light and the dark inside of us, and sometimes we forget which is which," Nellith said. She looked upon him sadly. "There was a time when you wanted to be a Jedi, more than anything."_

 _"I only wanted that because my mother foresaw it, and I didn't know yet what fools we were," he scoffed. "We were just hoping for a miracle, since Galen abandoned us."_

 _"Tallis!" Nellith cried. "He didn't abandon you! Remember what he told us, in the Artorian palace?"_

 _"I've seen the truth," he said, his voice as cold as Uphatu's night winds. "He lied."_

 _"That's not true," Nellith protested. "Tallis, I was there. I couldn't sense any deception from Galen. Do you know where he's been, all this time?"_

 _He curled his fingerlessly-gloved hands into fists. "Most likely forgetting me all over again."_

 _"No, he's been part of the search effort," Nellith said. "He's been trying to find you for days."_

 _His expression faltered for a moment before he controlled the lapse. "Then why haven't you found me? Why hasn't anyone come to save me?"_

 _"Because we've been locked in a Jedi Civil War!" Nellith cried, throwing her hands out to her sides in frustration. "If you waited—"_

 _"If you'd waited, we would've gotten you out!" Tallis jabbed a finger towards her._

 _Nellith scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't have come with you. Not like this."_

 _He appeared even angrier. "Then I mean nothing to you?"_

 _"That's not what I said!" Nellith shouted. "You're not listening!"_

 _Tallis blinked, looking as if he had been slapped. "Wait. . . What am I saying?"_

 _"I don't follow." Nellith refused to uncross her arms, afraid of this sudden change, as if someone had flipped a switch in Tallis. He reached a hand to his now almost completely white hair. His lilac-gray eyes widened in an expression of sudden horror._

 _"No, no, no, she's getting inside my head, I've gotta get her out—" the surroundings of the dream began to fade away. "You have to come back for me—"_

* * *

In a flash, Nellith awoke. She was lying on the floor of the _Suncrusher_. She looked over her shoulder to see Miri standing over her.

"We've landed on Anch-To," Miri said.

"Right near the First Jedi Temple," Jaina said as she pounded the button that opened the side door. "I hope you have good shoes, kid, because we're walking up a kriff-ton of steps."

Nellith nodded, shedding her cloak and leaving it on the chair. Already the sunlight was filtering through the opening, kissing her skin and reminding her of those nights she spent with her parents, the one time she ever saw her father.

A smile dawned on her face as she recognized the remote auras of her parents in the Force. The river and the tide were mixing together, threatening to remind the galaxy of the dangers of the deep— but light filtered through the surface still. Hope had not died yet.

Nellith scrambled to her feet and began the hike.

* * *

She stopped at the final step. In her hurry to see her parents, she had outpaced the others. As she took several gulping breaths and her body began to ache, she realized that she must've tapped into the Force to achieve it.

Then she sensed it, a small shift in the Force. She looked up to see a cloud obscuring the sun, about to begin its descent into the ocean.

Something had changed.

Nellith got up, and ran as fast as she could manage to where she knew her parents were, praying that it wasn't too late to change their minds. She burst into the old cave-temple, where her parents sat at the edges of a pool with the design of Rose's necklace in the bottom.

At the same time, Rey and Ben looked up to see their daughter, panting for breath and standing in the threshold.

"Nellith?"


	12. Balance of the Force

Rey was the first to rise, the name having just left her lips. Ben rose to follow her, and the two looked closer. Rey stopped, reaching her hand to her daughter's neck, her hand brushing over where the chip once was. Something dark and Sith flickered in Rey's hazel eyes. It was a promise.

As Nellith struggled to catch her breath, Rey's eyes met hers, an understanding passing through them.

Then Rey embraced her daughter. Ben wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, and the Solo family sank to their knees, together after two weeks apart. It was only fitting they were reunited in a place full of memories all three of them would never forget.

For Ben and Rey, this was the place where their love began, where it truly sparked into the forest fire it would become, bringing life and light in the wake of its destruction. All that was old had died in their path, making way for the new and better.

For Nellith, this had always been a place of love. It was where her parents could love each other in the light, it was where her father had always been there. It was where she was loved the most for the light and the dark within her.

 _Damn the dark, damn the light._

Tallis's words echoed in her head. Nellith broke away from the hug and Ben reached out for his daughter's face.

"They will pay," he assured her.

"We've been gathering allies with the Force from around the galaxy," Rey said. "They should be here in two or three days. We were going to storm the Capricorn and end the Jedi Civil War once and for all."

"You were going to save me then?" Nellith asked, crossing her arms over her chest in a way that made it appear as if she was hugging herself.

"Of course," Rey assured. "We'd always come back for you sweetheart, we promise."

"And make sure they never touch you again," Ben growled.

"What else did they do to you?" Rey asked. "We need to know so we can help you."

Nellith looked down to her hand. It was the first time she'd really gotten a chance to think about it, to realize that her biological hand was gone. Only a prosthetic remained. Sometimes she forgot it was gone. Then she felt the phantom pain, the searing of Kiernan's lightsaber disarming her permanently and maiming her in the process.

"My hand isn't real anymore." As tears gathered in her eyes, her tone was serene and detached.

Rey took her daughter's hand, looking it over with not just the eyes of a mother, but of a mechanic.

"Decent workmanship," she admitted reluctantly. "I'll fix you up a better one, I promise. If you want, you can even help design it."

Nellith nodded, feeling Ben's eyes on her, waiting for her to confess more.

When Nellith looked into Ben's eyes, he was surprised how her shade of hazel was exactly the same as his. It scared him, sometimes, how much his daughter resembled himself in his younger days. He could only hope that she would never lose her way like he did.

"What else did they do?" he asked, his voice deathly quiet.

"I was locked in a cold room, only a hospital gown with only water, no food for two weeks," Nellith said. "They put the inhibitor chip in. . . Kiernan invaded my mind. He picked me up with the Force and would throw me against the wall."

Nellith then jumped, hearing an echo of mechanical breathing. She looked around for the source of the sound as her father took her small hands into his, a gesture of comfort and support. Then she realized, as she saw the dark expression on his face that it was a warning from the Force.

Ben Solo was teetering on the edge of becoming Kylo Ren once more.

For the first time since she'd met her father as both the light and dark sides of himself, she was afraid, not for herself, but for the havoc he could wreak upon the stars. It was infecting her mother, too, she could feel it. Both were being consumed by their own shadows, because of what Kiernan did.

It reminded her of Aquilae, when her mother made shadow puppets.

"The stronger the light, the bigger the shadow," her mother had explained when she showed Nellith.

Her parents had been beacons of hope in the galaxy for over a decade. Now they had cast their shadow, and it threatened to swallow the universe.

"We won't strike until our other allies are here," Ben said. "Why don't we greet my sister?"

"I'm already here, Ben," Jaina said, standing in the threshold. Her brown eyes reflected the fear Nellith felt, but were mixed with the horror of seeing history repeat itself within Ben Solo. "We can't just get revenge. This has to be about more than that. That's what the Sith would do."

"And so do the Jedi," Ben said. "Look at the Clone Wars, at the legendary Luke Skywalker, at Kiernan."

"Luke didn't just do it for revenge," Jaina said, striding forward. "He had other reasons. Kiernan is lying to himself. He believes in the old, corrupted Jedi doctrines of the Clone Wars. When Master Yoda passed on the torch to Luke, and then to you, Rey, he believed the Jedi should be reborn."

"And we'll do revenge," Rey said, her expression fierce. "No one hurts my baby."

Jaina inhaled sharply. "I'm not just fighting for my apprentice. I'm fighting because Kiernan is turning the Jedi into something they should never be."

Rey nodded, somehow finding sense, managing to calm somewhat. Ben, for all he tried, could not.

"If you're not with us, Jaya, stay out of our way," Ben warned.

"I'm trying to help," Jaina replied, her tone equally as sharp. "Push me away again, and history will repeat."

With that, Jaina exited out onto the terrace outside the temple, and started climbing down the cliffside.

Nellith looked back to her parents, more unsure than ever about what it meant to be a Jedi.


	13. The Legend of the Sword of the Jedi

After a few reassurances from Ben and Rey, Nellith left to take a walk down the beach. She could feel Jaina's presence there, like the coals of a fire that would either flicker out or turn to inferno. Her presence was as unstable as her father's lightsaber.

Every step felt uncertain, like it all would crumble beneath Nellith at any second. Never had her future felt so uncertain.

On the beach, there were many ledges with little caves inside. Nellith glanced up at the seawall, filled with porg nests and the like. She took off her boots, feeling the sand beneath her toes, like she did as a child.

She continued further, following the trail of embers within the Force, down a part of the beach Rey and Ben had never taken her to. The rocks were jagged and cold, and Jaina's inner fire was the only warmth, a beacon of hope in a place that reeked of death and darkness. Before Nellith could glimpse the source of the darkness, she came across a dark slope of wall.

She frowned and touched her hand to the cold, rough surface. _Jaina can't walk through walls. . . I think. There has to be another way in._

She turned to the tide, starting to climb into the beach. She looked back to the rock wall, and then to the tide once more before making her decision. With a running start, she leapt into the waves and swam into a lagoon, sheltered by a cave.

Nellith gasped for breath as the water suddenly became frigid as she entered the cave. Kicking wildly, she grappled for the rocks and pulled herself up onto shore. She stood and saw Jaina, sitting in front of a rock covered in ice that looked like the caves of Uphatu.

"Aunt Jaina?" Nellith called.

Jaina jumped, and looked over her shoulder, hand to her lightsaber hilt. Once she realized it was Nellith, she instantly calmed.

"How did you find this place?" she asked as she got to her feet.

"I followed you." Nellith shrugged. She then looked up and around. "What is this place?"

"A test," Jaina said. "The Jedi who first occupied this temple, they believed that a Padawan must go through trials to become a Jedi Knight. One of these was entering a place like this, filled with the Dark side of the Force. It was supposed to reveal if a Jedi could resist temptation and be brave, even against their greatest fears and insecurities. Rey came here once, as did Ben and I."

"What happened?" Tired, Nellith sat down at the edge, dipping her bare feet into the cold ocean water.

Jaina perched beside her.

"We were both nineteen at the time," Jaina said. "We'd only been training for four years at that point. The other students, they thought we were legends in the making, just like Uncle Luke."

"Luke was afraid it was all going to your head," Nellith guessed.

"No," Jaina said, as her long brown hair swished forwards to hide her face. "He believed them."

Jaina took a deep breath.

"He took us here, expecting us to pass our trial," Jaina began. "Ben went first. I don't know what he saw. But he took out his lightsaber and slashed at the ice on the wall. It broke, temporarily, but reformed as soon as he touched a hand to it. He hated that he'd failed, and begged Luke to try again. But it was my turn, then."

"What did you see?" Nellith asked.

"My brother. . . He didn't look like Kylo Ren, though," Jaina said. "He had the long hair, and black robes, but they were elegant, triangular. His lightsaber was a normal red one. He kept shouting at me that it was my destiny to kill him. I didn't. I refused to."

"Did you fail or succeed?" Nellith asked.

"Succeed," Jaina said, finally tucking some hair away from her face. "That's what being a Jedi is about, Nellith. It's being able to forgive, and it's knowing when to fight and when to lay your lightsaber down. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Nellith's hazel state was unblinking.

Jaina sighed. "I love your father, but Ben. . . Ben's always had trouble with the dark path. And Rey's strong, but I think even now she's become so used to being with Ben all the time, she finds it easier to slip to the dark with him. It's all strange and complicated. But I have to keep trying, to keep them both from falling."

Nellith thought of Tallis, and how he had fallen because of her.

Jaina tilted her head ever so slightly as she gently glanced at the surface of her apprentice's guilt and grief.

"That isn't the same," Jaina insisted. "We all knew Tallis had the capacity to become what Palpatine was. We can't always escape our blood or our pasts. I've tried all my life."

"I'm sorry," Nellith said.

"No, I'm sorry," Jaina said, looking her dead-on. "All of this happened long before you were born. You shouldn't have to carry that."

"But I do," Nellith said, shrugging once more. "That's all I can do."

Jaina pursed her lips and said nothing. She pulled a lightsaber hilt off of her belt that Nellith had never seen before, and placed it in Nellith's hands. Nellith pressed the button on the side, and an emerald green blade emerged, driving out the darkness.

"It belonged to Luke," Jaina said. "I thought you might need a weapon for this war, since they took your lightsaber. You're going to be a legend, Nel. Might as well start carrying the weapon of one."

Nellith turned off the lightsaber as she held the legacy of the saber in her hands.


	14. The Trials of Nellith Solo

Nellith awoke to the sounds of ships landing at the base of the First Jedi Temple. She propped herself up on her elbows and saw that her parents had already left the hut. She got to her feet and scrambled outside. From the pavilion, she could see Jaina, Rey, and Ben greeting Jedi Knights who had not allied themselves with Kiernan, including former Knights of Ren, like Rowley.

"It's shaping up to be a war now."

Nellith turned to see Miri standing beside her in clothing that was both fashionable for the young queen, and practical, with a golden jacket, a black top with a lacy pattern, and slim black pants with built-in knee pads. Miri looked ready for a war.

"I wish it had never come to this," Nellith murmured.

"There's nothing you could have done to stop any of it," Miri said. "Everyone is making their own choices."

"But I'm supposed to lead the galaxy someday," Nellith said. "I should have some say in this, I should be responsible somehow."

"You aren't queen yet," Miri assured her. "And you're still learning what you need to be. The Force is only a small part of the larger galaxy. We need so much more."

"I know that," Nellith murmured. "I don't know why anyone thinks I can lead everyone someday. I'm still trying to gain control over my life, become a Jedi Knight."

"You've got to at least be getting close to the end of that," Miri said. "You've already passed a few of the trials."

"I don't think we use the Trials anymore," Nellith said with a frown. "Luke didn't use them, according to Jaina."

"We have protected and cherished information about the Force," Miri said. "That includes the traditions of the Jedi. After Order 66, we were a safe haven for the survivors. After Jedha, we took in the refugees. We learned about the Old Republic's Jedi traditions."

"What were the Trials?" Nellith asked.

"Trial of the Flesh," Miri began, counting off of her fingers. "Basically, were you in battle and did you get hurt? With that lost hand, I'd say it more than counts. There's the building of your own lightsaber, Trial of the Star. There's Trial of the Fire. . . That doesn't count in the Jedi anymore, I think. Then there's the Trial of the Dark. That's why Jedi kept their temples close to a place of darkness."

"Jaina told me about that, she, Mum, and Dad visited a pocket like that on this island," Nellith said.

"We should go visit it," Miri said, her amber eyes lighting up with excitement. "We could finish your trials!"

"That won't make me a Jedi Knight, Miri," Nellith reminded her.

"But wouldn't it be fun to see if you could pass the old Jedi's trials?" Miri asked.

"I suppose." Nellith looked down to the green lightsaber in the palm of her hand. She could feel the weight of Luke's legacy even more, now that she was directly compared to the legendary Jedi Master.

"Come on, then, let's go!" Miri took Nellith by the hand, pulling her along.

"I'm the one who knows where it is, remember?" Nellith said.

"Oh, right." Miri dropped Nellith's hand quickly. "This is going to be so fun!"

Nellith followed the cliffside, since the tide had hidden the beach she had accessed the cave from before, looking specifically for the feel of the sudden cold, the sudden death that had nearly overtaken her before.

It led them to a hole in the ground on the cliffside. Nellith squatted in front of it, Miri directly in front of her. Miri peered down into the hole.

"Looks like a long way down," Miri said.

"Yep," Nellith said, before jumping into the hole.

She plunged into the icy water, leaving Miri behind. Kicking and flailing her arms around from the shock of the cold, Nellith managed to reach the shore, and stood in front of the rock face, shining like a mirror behind a thick layer of frost. As soon as she reached her fingers out to it, she heard the sound of a lightsaber.

She turned, igniting Luke's lightsaber. Standing in front of her was a replica of herself, with yellow eyes and black elegant robes and a crown resembling that of Tallis's in the visions of the future.

"You're not real," Nellith said, reminding herself more than the replica.

The replica tilted her head. "Am I? You've dreamed of me, a great many times."

"I'm not you," Nellith said through gritted teeth as she clutched her lightsaber, raising it over her shoulder.

"Not yet," the replica replied. "But destiny has already decided."

Nellith's heart pounded. Already, she felt as if all the walls in her life were closing in on her. She was to lead the Jedi into a glory Luke Skywalker never managed, she was to lead the galaxy and resolve the rift that had been alive for nearly a century, and the vision itself was solidifying every time she dreamed it.

Everyone was deciding her destiny for her. And she didn't even have a choice.

"You don't," the replica replied. "And now— you have to defeat him. That's your destiny."

Tallis appeared, just as in the dreams. His double-edged lightsaber was now completely red, not red and yellow like before. His expression was dead, nothing other than pure hatred radiating off of him.

Nellith's hands shook. Then she turned off the lightsaber, tuning into the light that had always been inside her. She calmed herself, and threw her lightsaber to the side. It rolled on the rocks, but Nellith no longer cared.

When she opened her eyes, it was just her and the vision of the future Tallis.

"I know this isn't you," Nellith said. "And I won't stop trying to rescue you. Even if it's from yourself."

The vision blinked, and dissipated in front of Nellith's eyes, like smoke. She turned to pick up her lightsaber, and swam out to the lagoon.

* * *

When she returned to camp, the circle of Jedi were just finishing their conversation. Ben and Rey turned around upon sensing Nellith's approach.

"I think we're ready," Ben said.

"What's the plan?" Nellith asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"All you need to know is that you're staying here," Rey said.

"What?" Nellith protested.

"You're too important, and you shouldn't have to fight this time," Rey said, glancing at Ben. "We need for you to stay here. Do you understand?"

Nellith hesitated. "I understand."


	15. Luminous Beings

The sun was descending upon Anch-To once more. Nellith sat on the rock on the terrace outside of the temple, legs crossed in a meditation position, as Jaina had taught her.

 _Breathe. Just, breathe._

It wasn't Jaina's voice she heard in her mind, then. It was the sound of an older man's, an echo of what happened here many years before.

She closed her eyes, and then she saw it.

At least it was a different future this time.

* * *

 _Rey and Ben were surrounded, fighting off several Jedi. With the array of colors and some faces she did not recognize, Nellith didn't know who was who, or which side was winning. Jedi died in horrific ways, either impaled on lightsabers or victims of the power they were so proud to wield. Kiernan and Jaina were locked in a duel of their own, Jaina throwing her black lightning at Kiernan, who could only deflect it with his golden lightsaber._

 _Jaina was about to deliver the coup-de-gras, when Kiernan locked blades, and twisted it so Jaina's head and shoulders were detached from her body._

 _"NO!" Nellith screamed. But she wasn't there. She stayed home._

 _Kiernan twirled his lightsaber, and threw it—soaring through the battle, and landing in Rey's back. Rey froze, stiffening, and Ben dropped his lightsaber, time literally slowing down for all but him and Rey. He caught Rey in his arms as she took in her last breaths._

 _Feebly, her hand reached out to brush the scar she had left on Ben's face all those years ago, before it dropped limply to her side. Ben kissed her as her eyes closed for the final time, his shoulders shaking with grief as the battle froze completely._

 _For a few awful moments, the world held still as a ray of light died completely, and with it, the final spark within Ben Solo. When he looked up, his eyes were a Sith yellow, ringed with red. His red crossguard ignited as the world returned to normal, but her father was no longer Ben Solo._

 _Kylo Ren lived instead._

* * *

Nellith's hazel eyes burst open. She had to get to wherever the Battle was, and fast. As she stood up, she realized two things. Firstly, that she didn't know where the battle was, and secondly, that she had no way off of the island.

In anger, she threw her lightsaber down the cliffs, and didn't care where it landed. She felt so incredibly helpless, once again. She turned and stormed into the temple, and threw herself against the side of the Force pool, beginning to sob in frustration.

She didn't know how long she was sitting there for when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Expecting a fish nun, since all of her friends were gone, she was surprised to see a man in his early twenties with blonde hair like hers and dressed in all black. He held the hilt of her lightsaber out to her.

"I think you dropped this," he said.

"Thanks," Nellith said as she swiped the tears off of her face. She clipped Luke's old lightsaber back on her belt. The man sat down next to her.

"I, too, once saw a vision like yours," he said.

"Excuse me?" Nellith tilted her head to the side ever so slightly.

"I couldn't help but feel it," he said apologetically. "I was told by my mentor not to go after it."

"So you're saying I shouldn't do anything about it?" Nellith asked.

"No," the man answered. He held up his hand in a black glove. "I lost a hand, my friend was captured, and I learned a terrible secret. . . But my sister would've died if I hadn't come. And it was all better in the long run."

"I can't get off of the island," Nellith said frustratedly. "And I don't even know where they are. They wouldn't tell me."

"I couldn't help but see the desert surrounding them," Luke said. "I know the place. They're outside my old home, near Mos Eisley, on Tatooine. As for the other problem. . . I happen to know a solution."

He stood up, and led her out of the temple, to a peak of a mountain. He continued down the grassy side, and pointed to where an X-wing lay in the water.

"It probably isn't even close to working," Nellith complained.

The young man raised his eyebrows. "Not without a little help from the Force, no. I'll help you."

Nellith outstretched her hand, as did the man, and shaking ever so slightly, the X-wing rose out of the waters of Anch-To. It lit up, even, becoming a working X-wing once more. It set down on the hilltop, and Nellith turned to the man.

"Thank you," she said. She tilted her head as she realized that she had never made any physical contact with him. "Who are you?"

"My name is Luke," he said simply. "And your friends need you, Nellith Solo."

"I'd better go to them," Nellith said, looking to the X-wing. "Thanks, by the—"

When she looked back, the man was gone.

Nellith shook her head, and leapt into the cockpit, taking the controls. To her surprise, they were all working just fine. She punched in the coordinates for a hyperspace route to Tatooine, and waited.


	16. A True Jedi

As the Twin Suns began to rise over the horizon, Nellith's X-wing touched down in front of the Kenobi house. She leapt out of the cockpit and grabbed her lightsaber. She started running as fast as she could towards the fight. She could sense it already— so close, yet so far.

 _I have to stop it._

Pumping her arms and legs, Nellith sprinted across the desert, her vision flickering between time and space. In one stride, she was in the infamous vision with Tallis, a queen tied to the Throne of Balance. The next, she was in the present, trying to stop the Jedi Civil War.

She ran until she stopped on a cliffside, and ignited her lightsaber. Just like in her vision, she couldn't tell which side was which as the Jedi locked into battle with one another. All she knew was that she had to stop them, as a future leader and as a Jedi Knight.

She reached her hand out, acting on instinct.

 _Breathe. Just, breathe._

She didn't hear Jaina or Luke or anyone's voice in her head, just her own. When she opened her eyes, the scene was paralyzed. Everyone stood still, although their eyes and heaving chests showed time still progressing. Nellith loosened her grip enough so the Jedi could look to her.

"Enough," she declared, her voice carrying across the desert. "We cannot fight, not now! Not when the galaxy needs us. Maybe both sides are right. Maybe both are wrong. But both sides are falling to the dark, and we're all trapped, forgetting the real enemy! I'm not going to stand here and watch you kill each other! If we are truly Jedi and I am supposed to be the Jedi Queen on the Throne of Balance, then lay your lightsaber down— if not for your sake, do it for mine."

To her surprise as much as anyone else's, as she let go of her grip on all of their bodies in the Force, they lay their lightsabers down. All except Kiernan. Nellith felt his anger radiating off of him, and she felt her own bubbling and boiling at the surface. She raised her lightsaber just in time as he leapt up the cliff edge with the use of the Force, and swung at her.

She blocked, and took a swing herself, missing as he jumped over it. With a flamboyant twirl, she managed to block his next strike, and pushed the momentum of the blade so hard that the lightsaber went spiraling out of Kiernan's hands, landing on the button that turned it off.

Kiernan looked to her in horror, and knelt, as if it would suddenly save him. The emerald lightsaber of Luke Skywalker hovered inches away from his neck. Nellith's hands shook. Then she saw fractures of another image. Of the stupid Throne of Balance.

* * *

 _There were her parents, the same as before. But this time despite being tied to the Throne of Balance, she managed to exert one change. She turned off Tallis's lightsaber. It was a small change, but a change nonetheless. And that made all of the difference._

* * *

She was standing in front of Kiernan again. She thought of Andromeda Hux, of her first fight so long ago with the lightsaber versus a Bogan Squadron trooper. And even then, before all of this responsibility and destiny had been heaped upon her shoulders, she had made a choice.

She didn't want to be the kind of Jedi who killed. Not then, not now, not ever. Already she'd had to kill in the fights against the Second Order, but that was a necessary war. This was completely unnecessary.

Nellith turned off her lightsaber, clipping it on her belt.

"I'm not doing this for you," she snarled at Kiernan's relieved expression. "I'm doing this because I don't want to be like you. I might never forgive you. That doesn't mean I won't move on with my life. But I will never stop feeling angry when I see your face."

He blinked, unsure of what to do with this gift.

Nellith left him, and looked down at the Jedi. These would be _her_ people that _she_ would be responsible for.

Before, she was afraid of the responsibility. But now she knew that she could handle it. She was ready.


	17. The Emperor's Message

On the bedside table, the commlink beeped. Groaning, Nellith sat up and jumped when she saw the message. It was from General Mitaka.

 _My apologies, Princess, but your presence has been requested within the communications office at once._

Curious, Nellith frowned and merely threw on a robe and hurried down to the communications office.

The hallways of the Imperial Palace were eerily silent. Rooms that had once been occupied by other Jedi were empty. While most of the traitors had been forgiven, Kiernan and his council were sitting currently in holding cells in the prison complex on another part of the planet.

Nellith hesitated, stopping by what was once Tallis's room. No one had touched it since they had returned from Artorias without him. The door slid open, revealing the mess that it had been in, a reflection of his mental turmoil of Snoke's ghost haunting him.

She continued onwards towards the communications office, wondering what could possibly involve her.

Only General Mitaka and a few other officers were there, none of the rest of the Imperial Royal Family. It was just her. Mitaka approached her, worried.

"I haven't told your parents yet," Mitaka said. "But this may be a chance to end the war, and I believe you would rather try."

"What is it, Mitaka?" It surprised Nellith, how her voice sounded more commanding, and how it demanded respect and a lack of this tap-dancing nonsense. She folded her arms over her chest to enhance this affect, but also because she felt a cold creeping in from within herself, from that dread in the pit of her stomach that something bad was about to happen.

"We've received a severely encrypted transmission from the Second Order," Mitaka said. "Their emperor has been waiting on the other end of the line quite patiently and requests to speak with you."

"For a chance at peace," Nellith finished breathlessly. As much as she hated herself for it, she wanted to see Tallis again. And if she could maybe somehow convince him to come back. . .

"Patch him through," Nellith ordered. "And no matter the outcome, my parents are not to know about this."

Mitaka nodded eagerly. "My thoughts exactly, Your Highness. Patching him through."

He leaned over the shoulder of one of the few technicians working to flip a switch. A holographic transmission appeared of Tallis sitting on a throne inside a room Nellith didn't recognize. She placed her hand over her mouth to hide at least part of her expression.

Tallis's face softened. "Nellith."

"What do you want?" Nellith's voice came out as hard and cold as the floors of the Imperial Castle.

He frowned. "I wanted to see you again. I want to make a bargain."

"What kind?" Nellith asked.

"Go to the observatory on Jakku, and I will use what power I have to end this war," Tallis promised. "On Jakku, we can end it all."

"How do I know that you aren't lying to me?" Nellith asked, her cheeks turning red as tears started to trickle down them.

"Nellith." His voice was gentle. "When would I ever hurt you?"

Nellith shook her head. "I don't know you anymore. You told me you would've rather died at the Rainbow Palace than do what Abeloth wants. This isn't who you are."

His eyes darted nervously to the side, then back to Nellith, his expression grave.

"If you have ever loved me, promise me you'll show up to the observatory without weapons," Tallis said. "The war will end, and everything will be alright. I promise."

Mitaka looked at her, shaking his head ever so slightly. Nellith took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew they would say she didn't have a choice, she couldn't trust him, she couldn't afford whatever sacrifices would come with going with them.

Bur she did have a choice. And it mattered that it was hers.

When her eyes opened, she felt calm, filled with a steely resolve. "I promise, I will be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," he said. "You won't regret it."

The transmission ended, and Nellith could feel Mitaka's eyes on her. She looked down to her crossed arms over her chest. The technicians swiveled around in their sears to look at her.

"You aren't really going to go through with it, are you?" Mitaka asked.

"I am," Nellith said.

"Then we should alert the Supreme Leader—"

"No." Nellith closed her eyes again. "I have to do this myself. For the galaxy."

Mitaka and the technicians shared a solemn look as they realized that this was in fact the last hope.

* * *

 **AN: This is the end of _Jedi Queen: Fate of the Jedi_. Thank you for reading. I hope you will continue with the fifth and final installment, _Jedi Queen: Throne of Balance_.**


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